Note: Production of the Zipp 404 650c hybrid toriodal tubular ended in September 2012. Zipp will continue to provide ongoing support for this product through our normal sales/service channels.

There are a lot of good reasons to ride 650c wheels, particularly for smaller athletes like Mirinda Carfrae, who won at Kona in 2010 aboard Zipp’s 404 650c Tubular wheelset. With the all-out, all-around race-ability of the Zipp® 404 tubular available in a 650c package, you won’t have to worry about finding top-level race wheels to fit the bike that fits you perfectly.

For 2012, we’re updating the 650c versions of the 404 with our revised 88/188 hubset. The new rear 188 has a 7.5 mm-wider hub stance, and the non-driveside flange has been canted two degrees for additional stiffness and reliability. The wheelset is available in a classic Falcon Grey color scheme, or the new stealthy Beyond Black, featuring black hubs, spokes, and logos.

Advanced Boundary Layer Control (ABLC) refers to the patented and instantly recognizable dimpled pattern found on all of our carbon rims. ABLC smoothes airflow across the rim's surface and is tailored to every model from the 202 to the Super-9 Disc. The third-generation of ABLC has up to four times more dimples than before.

Visco-Elastic Constrained Layer Control (VCLC) uses a vibration-absorbing material sandwiched between layers of rigid carbon laminate in the rim. When the wheel receives an impact from the road, much of the shock is absorbed by the VCLC system, delivering a 10% reduction in vibration.

Carbon Bridge uses a Kevlar® thread in a co-axial helix stitch to bind sheets of carbon to each other in our tubular rims. Because Kevlar is 350% more impact resistant than carbon, it can disperse shock more evenly throughout the carbon laminate, making for a rim that is practically bulletproof. In particular, Carbon Bridge reduces the vulnerability of the rim's tire bed, the area most susceptible to damage from impact.

Every aspect of our 88 and 188 hubs sets a new benchmark. The standard steel bearings are the roundest in the industry. The 17mm axle is the stiffest of any road hub we've tested. The wire EDM-cut hub internals are the most precise. When it comes to precision and performance, there's really no comparison.